Merry Christmas! To anyone that reads this, I hope that your Christmas (if you celebrate it) was beautiful and completely free of stress. As for us, we couldn’t have asked for a more low-key holiday. Honestly, as the sun slips away and darkness arrives once again, I find myself maudlin. Last Christmas, I was unable to get together with my family on the actual day because of the nature of my job. I’d just spent the previous four weeks working 70+ hours a week and on Christmas day, all I did was sleep. A few days later, though, I was together with my parents. It was an impossibility this year, what with our having just moved here and not exactly in the strongest financial position to be buying tickets to fly back east for the holidays. So this was our first Christmas more than two thousand miles away from the ones we love. I FaceTimed with my mom twice today, which did help, but I still miss getting hugs from my parents and grandparents and spending time catching up. It’s so weird to be so far away and unable to do any of those things. My decades of family traditions are gone now. Well, I guess they aren’t gone, but they now continue without me.
On the upside, one tradition did continue, and that’s watching as much of the 24 hours of A Christmas Story as possible. Tim had never even seen the movie prior to our getting together, and now he anticipates it just as much as I do. We usually watch it through twice and then have it on in the background the rest of the time (like now.) In a couple of hours, we’re heading over to my friend and co-worker’s house to have Christmas dinner with her and her wife. Looking forward to a little togetherness today!
Last night, I was on a mission to find sailboats decked out with Christmas lights, so we headed westward toward the water. Luckily, Puget Sound is only about 10 miles away, and I discovered wonderful Des Moines Marina with its public fishing pier. A front had moved in from Alaska so the air had an uncustomary chilly bite to it, but there were still people fishing off the pier. And it was silent. Surprisingly silent and peaceful. None of the humans were actually talking, so most of the noises came from the seagulls, ducks, waterfowls, and the one sea lion I could see sitting on the rocks. We were able to take some gorgeous pictures as the sun set over the water, and I found my boats with lights!
God’s handiwork on Christmas Eve.
The painted sky reflecting off the water, looking northward toward Seattle.
I love seagulls, even if no one else does. These two standing guard made me smile.
Such a cheery little boat!
Decorated boats are my new favorite things!
Can I take it out for a little while? Please??
Life on Wild Hare Farm 
Don’t forget the yo-yo Christmas ornaments. If all else fails, you can wear them as earrings — a new holiday tradition. Or would they work as fishing lures?
LOL they would make terrible lures as they would float. And if I wore them as earrings, I would be too busy looking ridiculous to have any fun!!!
There must be something we can do with those yo-yo ornaments….they must have a useful function in life, besides the obvious: use them as coasters.
We had a very laid back Christmas day too. But tomorrow company arrives soooo…
During our last few years in Washington, my husband worked for Boeing. My SIL lived in Seattle for 18 years and had discovered her passion – Spanish. She had moved to Mexico where she had discovered her other passion – a man who would eventually become her husband. Like you, our family was 2000 miles away and with my SIL gone, our Christmas’s were either just hubby and the kids or sometimes with other friends who didn’t have family in the area.
One particular year, one of hubby’s co-workers invited us and some other Boeing employees to a Christmas party. He owned and lived on a small yacht in one of the marinas. He had it all decked out with lights and about 1 1/2 hours into the party we set sail to join in a Christmas parade of boats floating around the Sound. It was a beautiful sites and such a memorable experience for us.
I’m happy you were able to take in some of the site on the Sound during this wonderful time of the year.
Love the photo of the seagulls – I don’t live anywhere near the ocean so I really enjoyed the photos of the decorated boats – I had no idea people did that!
It looks so serene and beautiful there on the water. Seems a really nice place to spent time on Christmas Eve.
Our son and his family couldn’t make it here for Christmas, but we were able to see them briefly the week before. I lived far away from most of my family for many years and rarely saw them on Christmas. So I know what you mean.
But I see that you are beginning to create new traditions.
Wishing you the happiest of new years.
It was so quiet and serene out on the Sound that I know I’m going to want to go there often. It won’t always be so quiet, but it’s just too beautiful not to be serene!
Happy New Year to you, too!